11-10-2024 TINTERN ABBEY NEW ROSS, WEXFORD - GARDEN COSMOS (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Cosmos bipinnatus, commonly called the garden cosmos, Mexican aster or cosmea, is a medium-sized flowering herbaceous plant in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to the Americas. The species and its varieties and cultivars are popular as ornamental plants in temperate climate gardens.

Cosmos bipinnatus is an annual that is often considered half-hardy, although plants may reappear via self-sowing for several years. The plant height varies from 2–6 ft to (rarely) 9 ft (0.61–1.83–2.74 m). The cultivated varieties appear in shades of pink and purple as well as white. The branched stem is usually densely to occasionally occupied by fine, split up, rough trichomes, but some specimens are completely hairless. The petiole itself is inconspicuous, winged, 10 (rarely to 15) mm long, and sometimes the leaves are almost sessile.

The partial leaves are linear-filiform to narrow linear with a width of 0.5 to 1 (rarely to 1.7) mm; the tips are pointed, hardened, but not particularly sharp. Its foliage appears as if finely cut into threadlike segments. When flowering, the plants can become top heavy. This problem is alleviated when they are grown in groups, as the bipinnate leaves interlock and the plants support each other.

The achenes become blackish, are smooth or short-bristly. Their shape is spindle-like. They are rounded off into a short, 0.5 to 1.7 mm long, but distinctly pronounced rostrum. The inner achenes are up to 18 mm long, their yellowish beaks are 4 to 5 (rarely to 10) mm long. A pappus is missing or it consists only of two to three awn-like, 1-3 mm large bristles.

11-10-2024 TINTERN ABBEY, WEXFORD - SMALL TORTOISESHELL BUTTERFLY (Aglais urticae)

The small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is a colourful Eurasian butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Adults feed on nectar and may hibernate over winter; in warmer climates they may have two broods in a season. While the dorsal surface of the wings is vividly marked, the ventral surface is drab, providing camouflage. Eggs are laid on the common nettle, on which the larvae feed.

It is a medium-sized butterfly that is mainly reddish orange, with black and yellow markings on the forewings as well as a ring of blue spots around the edge of the wings. It has a wingspan ranging from 4.5 to 6.2 cm.

A bright foxy red ground-colour; the forewing with 3 black costal spots, whose interspaces are yellow, there being a larger black spot in the middle of the hindmarginal area and two smaller ones in the disc between the 3 radial and 2 median; hindwing with the basal half black; both wings with black submarginal band bearing blue spots. Underside of the forewing ochreous, with the costal spots as above, the apex and distal margin blackish; hindwing brown, basal half black with dentate edge, the whole surface with darker pencilling; at the distal margin of both wings contiguous dull blue lunules.

The small tortoiseshell is the national butterfly of Denmark.

It is found throughout temperate Europe, Asia Minor, Central Asia, Siberia, China, Nepal, Sikkim Himalayas in India, Mongolia, Korea and Japan, wherever common nettle, which their larvae feed on, is found. There are a few records from New York City which, however, are believed to be of introduced insects.

The small tortoiseshell butterfly tends to enter hibernation by mid to late September. Typically this butterfly will try to hibernate in dark sheltered locations. Because of this hibernation, they need to accumulate a lot of fat to survive the winter. The tortoiseshell needs at least 20% of its body weight in lipids in order to survive, making them much slower. Towards the end of their foraging for hibernation, they are much more susceptible to attacks by birds because of their low muscle to body mass ratio. During the first few weeks of hibernation, tortoiseshell butterflies are very susceptible to predator attacks. Up to 50% of the population hibernating in any given area can be eaten. The butterflies that hibernate in areas containing more light, and that are accessible to rodents who can climb, are the most susceptible to this type of predation. During hibernation tortoiseshell butterflies are able to supercool in order to keep from freezing. In sheltered areas, these butterflies can stand up to −21 degrees Celsius without freezing. However, they experience rapid weight loss during unusually mild winters.

8-10-2024 BLENNERVILLE, IRELAND - BAR TAILED GODWIT (Limosa lapponica)

Population size

1.1 Mlnlnn

Life Span

30 years

Top speed

56

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

190-630

goz

g oz 

Length

37-41

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

70-80

cminch

cm 

The Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a large wader. The migration of its subspecies Limosa lapponica baueri across the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to New Zealand is the longest known non-stop flight of any bird, and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal. The round-trip migration for this subspecies is over 29,000 km (18,020 mi).

The Bar-tailed godwit is a relatively short-legged species of godwit. The adult has blue-grey legs and a long, tapering, slightly upturned bi-colored bill: pink at the base and black towards the tip. The neck, breast, and belly are unbroken brick red in breeding plumage, and dark brown above. Females' breeding plumage is much duller than males, with a chestnut to cinnamon belly. Breeding plumage is not fully apparent until the third year, and there are three distinguishable age classes; during their first migration north immature males are noticeably paler in colour than more mature males. Non-breeding birds seen in the Southern Hemisphere are plain grey-brown with darker feather centres, giving them a striped look, and are whitish underneath. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but more buff overall with streaked plumages on flanks and breast.

8-10-2024 ADARE, LIMERICK - EURASIAN JACKDAW (Corvus monedula)

The Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) is a passerine bird in the crow family found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa. The common name of the bird derives from the word jack, denoting "small", and daw, a less common synonym for "jackdaw", and the native English name for the bird. Jackdaws are intelligent gregarious and very vocal birds that form strong long-lasting pair bonds.

Population size

39.8-83.4 Mlnln

Life Span

5-20 years

Weight

240

goz

g oz 

Length

34-39

cminch

cm inch 

Most of the bird's plumage is shiny black, with a purple or blue sheen on the crown, forehead, and secondaries, and a green-blue sheen on the throat, primaries, and tail. The cheeks, nape, and neck are light grey to greyish-silver, and the underparts are slate-grey. The legs are black, as is the short stout bill. The irises of adults are greyish or silvery-white while those of juveniles are light blue, becoming brownish before whitening at around one year of age. The sexes of this species look alike, though the head and neck plumage of male birds fades more with age and wear, particularly just before molting.

7-10-2024 RIVER SHANNON, LIMERICK - LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL (Larus fuscus)

The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus ) is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. It has increased dramatically in North America, most common along the east coast. Formerly just a winter visitor, many birds are now spotted year-round. Some winters they occur in large numbers. Even on the west coast, this species has become an annual winter visitor in California with birds reported around most of the state each winter. They've even been seen in numbers at the Salton Sea.

The lesser black-backed gull is smaller than the European herring gull. The taxonomy of the herring gull / lesser black-backed gull complex is very complicated; different authorities recognise between two and eight species. This group has a ring species distribution around the Northern Hemisphere. Differences between adjacent forms in this ring are fairly small, but by the time the circuit is completed, the end members, herring gull and lesser black-backed gull, are clearly different species. The lesser black-backed gull measures 51–64 cm (20–25 in), 124–150 cm (49–59 in) across the wings, and weighs 452–1,100 g (0.996–2.425 lb), with the nominate race averaging slightly smaller than the other two subspecies. Males, at an average weight of 824 g (1.817 lb), are slightly larger than females, at an average of 708 g (1.561 lb). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 38 to 45 cm (15 to 18 in), the bill is 4.2 to 5.8 cm (1.7 to 2.3 in), and the tarsus is 5.2 to 6.9 cm (2.0 to 2.7 in). A confusable species is the great black-backed gull. The lesser is a much smaller bird, with slimmer build, yellow rather than pinkish legs, and smaller white "mirrors" at the wing tips. The adults have black or dark grey wings (depending on race) and back. The bill is yellow with a red spot at which the young peck, inducing feeding (see fixed action pattern). The head is greyer in winter, unlike great black-backed gulls. Annual moult for adults begins between May and August and is not complete on some birds until November. Partial prebreeding moult occurs between January and April.

Young birds have scaly black-brown upperparts and a neat wing pattern. They take four years to reach maturity. Identification from juvenile herring gulls is most readily done by the more solidly dark (unbarred) tertial feathers.

Their call is a "laughing" cry like that of the herring gull, but with a markedly deeper pitch.

10-10-2024 PEOPLES PARK WATERFORD, IRELAND - ROOK (Corvus frugilegus)

The rook (Corvus frugilegus) is a member of the family Corvidae in the passerine order of birds. It is found in the Palearctic, its range extending from Scandinavia and western Europe to eastern Siberia. It is a large, gregarious, black-feathered bird, distinguished from similar species by the whitish featherless area on the face. Rooks nest collectively in the tops of tall trees, often close to farms or villages; the groups of nests are known as rookeries.

Rooks are mainly resident birds, but the northernmost populations may migrate southwards to avoid the harshest winter conditions. The birds form flocks in winter, often in the company of other Corvus species or jackdaws. They return to their rookeries, and breeding takes place in spring. They forage on arable land and pasture, probing the ground with their strong bills and feeding largely on grubs and soil-based invertebrates, but they also consume cereals and other plant material. Historically, farmers have accused the birds of damaging their crops and have made efforts to drive them away or kill them. Like other corvids, they are intelligent birds with complex behavioural traits and an ability to solve simple problems. 

Western rooks are resident in Ireland, Britain and much of north and central Europe but vagrant to Iceland and parts of Scandinavia, where they typically live south of 60° latitude. They are found in habitats that common ravens dislike, choosing open agricultural areas with pasture or arable land, as long as there are suitable tall trees for breeding. They generally avoid forests, swamps, marshes, heaths and moorland. They are in general lowland birds, with most rookeries found below 120 m (400 ft), but where suitable feeding habitat exists, they may breed at 300 m (1,000 ft) or even higher. Rooks are often associated with human settlements, nesting near farms, villages and open towns, but not in large, heavily built-up areas. The eastern subspecies in Asia differs in being slightly smaller on average, and having a somewhat more fully feathered face. In the north of its range the species has a tendency to move south during autumn, and more southern populations are apt to range sporadically.

The species has been introduced into New Zealand, with several hundred birds being released there from 1862 to 1874. Although their range is very localized, the species is now regarded as an invasive pest and is the subject of active control by many local councils. This has wiped out the larger breeding colonies in New Zealand, and the remaining small groups have become more wary.

10-10-2024 PEOPLES PARK WATERFORD, IRELAND - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (FEMALE) (Turdus merula)

The Common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song.

Population size

162-492 Mlnlnn

Life Span

2.4-21 years

Weight

80-125

goz

g oz 

Length

23.5-29

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

34-38

cminch

The adult male has glossy black plumage, blackish-brown legs, a yellow eye ring, and an orange-yellow bill. The bill darkens somewhat in winter. The adult female is sooty-brown with a dull yellowish-brownish bill, a brownish-white throat, and some weak mottling on the breast. The juvenile is similar to the female but has pale spots on the upperparts, and the very young juvenile also has a speckled breast. Young birds vary in the shade of brown, with darker birds presumably males. The first-year male resembles the adult male but has a dark bill and weaker eye ring, and its folded wing is brown, rather than black like the body plumage.

Common blackbirds breed in Europe, North Africa, India, and southern China. Populations in the north and east migrate to winter in Egypt and the west and southeast of Asia. Depending on latitude, Common blackbirds may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory. These birds live in very varied habitats, including mountainous regions and big city centers, where they inhabit open forests and forest edges, woodlands, cultivated areas, gardens, and parks if the cover is dense enough for hiding.

10-10-2024 MUSEUM WATERFORD, IRELAND - LONG BODIED CELLER SPIDER (Pholcus phalangioides)

Pholcus phalangioides, commonly known as the cosmopolitan cellar spider, long-bodied cellar spider, house ghost spider or one of various types called a daddy long-legs spider, is a spider of the family Pholcidae. This is the only spider species described by the Swiss entomologist Johann Kaspar Füssli, who first recorded it in 1775. Its common name of "daddy long-legs" should not be confused with a different arachnid group with the same common name, the harvestman (Opiliones), or the crane flies of the superfamily Tipuloidea.

Females have a body length of about 8 mm while males tend to be slightly smaller. The length of the spider's legs are on average 5 or 6 times the length of its body. Pholcus phalangioides has a habit of living on the ceilings of rooms, caves, garages or cellars.

This spider species is considered beneficial in parts of the world because it preys on other spiders, including species considered dangerous such as redback spiders. Pholcus phalangioides is known to be harmless to humans and a potential for the medicinal use of their silk has been reported.

10-10-2024 PEOPLES PARK WATERFORD, IRELAND - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small insectivorous passerine bird. The term robin is also applied to some birds in other families with red or orange breasts. These include the American robin (Turdus migratorius ), a thrush, and the Australasian robins of the family Petroicidae.

Population size

130-201 Mlnlnn

Life Span

1-19 years

Weight

16-22

goz

g oz 

Length

12.5-14

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

20-22

cminch

cm inch 

The male and female European robins are similar in coloration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upperparts, and a whitish belly. The bill and eyes are black. Juveniles are spotted brown and white in coloration, with patches of orange gradually appearing.

European robins occur in Eurasia east to Western Siberia, south to Algeria, and on the Atlantic islands as far west as the Central Group of the Azores and Madeira. Irish and British robins are largely resident but a small minority, usually female, migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Scandinavian and Russian robins migrate to Britain and western Europe to escape the harsher winters. European robins prefer spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with their preference for parks and gardens in Ireland and Great Britain. These may also be found in grasslands, shrubby vegetation, hedgerows with some tall trees, orchards, and farmlands.

European robins are active during the day, however, they may also hunt insects on moonlit nights or near artificial light at night. These are generally solitary and territorial birds, and males are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behavior. They will fiercely attack other males and competitors that stray into their territories and may even attack other small birds without apparent provocation. European robins communicate using a variety of calls, including a ticking note that usually indicates anxiety or mild alarm. During the breeding season, robins produce a fluting, warbling song. Both the male and female sing during the winter, when they hold separate territories; the song then sounds more plaintive than the summer version. 

The female typically moves a short distance from the summer nesting territory to a nearby area that is more suitable for winter feeding. The male keeps the same territory throughout the year. During the breeding season, males usually initiate their morning song an hour before civil sunrise and usually terminate their daily singing around thirty minutes after sunset. They may also sing at night, especially in urban areas that are artificially lit during the night.

7-10-2024 RIVER SHANNON, LIMERICK - BLACK HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

The Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small and one of the most abundant gulls in much of Europe and Asia, and also in eastern Canada. It displays a variety of compelling behaviors and adaptations. Some of these include removing eggshells from one's nest after hatching, begging co-ordination between siblings, differences between sexes, conspecific brood parasitism, and extra-pair paternity.

The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, although does look black from a distance), a pale grey body, black tips to the primary wing feathers, and a red bill and legs. The hood is lost in winter, leaving just two dark spots. Immature birds have a mottled pattern of brown spots over most of the body and a black band on the tail. There is no difference in plumage between the sexes. In flight, the white leading edge to the wing is a good field mark. First-year birds have a black terminal tail band, more dark areas in the wings, and, in summer, a less fully developed dark hood.